Pollinators

Honey bees are the top pollinators, they spread the love! Their near constant trips back and forth from hive to flowers for nectar results in vital pollination. We love their work. Let's celebrate the pollinators. Learn more about pollination from an expert (video).  

Hummingbird began as a specialty honey shop in 1972, Honey Heaven. You could say that honey is at the heart of our business! We have always offered honeys that are truly 100% pure, raw, and unfiltered. Sourced from apiaries that are committed to sustainable practices, preserving the health of the bees and the land they steward, we take care to preserve and share the origin and varietal identity of the honeys we bring to you. We focus on specialty, Pacific Northwest honey, produced by seven small family-owned apiaries, offering specific varietals—from Meadowfoam to Pumpkin, Buckwheat and Orange Blossom—and provide year-round, staple varieties, such as Wildflower, Spring Nectar, Blackberry and Clover, for barrel and bulk sales. We now also offer an exclusive Hawaiian Certified Organic honey as well as Oregon Meadowfoam in a new larger 45 lb bulk size option.

PURE
Our honey suppliers do not blend their honey with other varieties of honey, water, or syrup solutions. Our honey comes straight out of the comb, into the container, that’s that!

RAW
We never heat our honeys above 115° F in handling, leaving vital amino acids and vitamins from the honey, propolis and pollen intact.

UNFILTERED
Unlike most honey that is pressure filtered, our honey is only sieved to remove large particles, leaving you with the maximum amount of naturally occurring propolis and pollen. This process protects honey’s antioxidant, anti-fungal, and nutritional goodness.

INTEGRITY
We’ve built long term relationships with our beekeepers reliant on mutual trust. Our win-win-win approach honors and respects everyone—including the bees!

REGIONAL & VARIETAL TRANSPARENCY
We source regional and nectar source specific honey, so you know where your honey comes from and the plant source of the pollen. Our nectar specific honey may come from different regions depending on the year.

Varietal Honeys have a diverse array of naturally occurring flavors that reflect the floral source of the nectar gathered by the bees. Although taste buds differ slightly, our guide shows notes that we experience when sampling these types.

Reading the Honey Tasting diagram

Blackberry: Notes of vanilla, berry and/or fruit
Mint: Notes of freshness, earth, herbs and/or a floral taste
Pumpkin: Notes of caramel, nuts, spices and/or confections

We've learned some honey tasting tips.

• Put a small amount of honey in a cup.
• Cover it and let it warm in your hand. Smell the honey and take note.
• Stir the honey and taste a small amount.
• Let it sit on your tongue. What do you taste besides sweet? What is the honey’s texture? How quickly is it dissolving? How do the flavors evolve in your mouth?
• Sample a bit more and move it around your mouth.
• Eating unsalted crackers and sipping room temperature water between each tasting will help neutralize your palette.
• Finally, note how long the flavors linger. Some honeys have a short finish. Others have a longer duration and the flavors change.